Which one of the following words was inserted into the Preamble by the Constitution (Forty-second Amendment) Act, 1976?
A'Sovereign' — describing India's external and internal independence from any external authority
B'Socialist' — inserted alongside 'Secular' and 'Integrity' by the 42nd Amendment
C'Republic' — denoting that the head of State is elected and not hereditary
D'Democratic' — affirming Government by the people through elected representatives
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. 'Socialist' — inserted alongside 'Secular' and 'Integrity' by the 42nd Amendment
1. The original 1949 Preamble described India as 'Sovereign Democratic Republic'.
2. The Constitution (42nd Amendment) Act, 1976 inserted the words 'SOCIALIST', 'SECULAR' and 'INTEGRITY' into the Preamble.
3. 'Sovereign', 'Democratic' and 'Republic' were part of the original text and were not insertions.
4. Hence 'Socialist' (and 'Secular', 'Integrity') belongs to the 1976 insertion set.
_Source: Constitution of India (Bare Act, updated to 105th Amendment Act 2021), Govt. of India Legislative Dept., Preamble; 42nd Amendment Act 1976_
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